Mirror illumination



March 16, 1943. G. NoRDQulsr 2,313,838

MIRROR ILLUM INATION Filed Sept. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @j 2 l 4Q' 2 i V ...m-H j]` INVENTORI BY @bari @/Vo/QQMZ March 16,1943. RG, NORDQWST 2,313,838

MIRROR ILLUMINATION Filed Sept. 2o, 1941 2` sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 16, 1943 2,313,838 MIRROR ILLUMINATION Robert G. Nordquist, Chicago, lll., assignor to Patent License Corporation, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application september 2o, 1941, serial No. 411,765

1 Claim.

This invention has to do with the illumination of.mirrors, of the type commonly used in the drawing rooms and compartments of railway sleeping cars, and is particularly concerned with the provision of means, self-contained with respect to the mirror assembly, for illuminating the area. immediately in front of the mirror.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and useful lighting arrangement, preferably in the form of a set of prisms, built into the frame of the mirror, which lighting arrangement will give adequate illumination for the mirror, presents an attractive appearance, and is easy and inexpensive to employ.

Other more specic objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and function of the novel lighting means.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is presented herein for the purpose of exempliflcation, but it will of course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of incorporation in other structurally modified forms coming equally withing the scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a mirror equipped with the improved lighting means;

Fig. '2 isa vertical section, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the mirror, showing `diagrammatically the way in which the light rays aredirected;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mirror, showing the same thing;

Fig. 6 is 1a sectional view through one of the margins of the frame of the mirror, showing in more detail the way in which the light rays are directed; and

Fig. 7 .is a view which is similar to Fig. 6 but shows the lightv diffusing panel omitted and a longitudinally continuous light sourcesubstituted for the single-point light source.

The particular mirror assembly chosen to illustrate an embodiment of the invention includes a mirror I0 and a frame II. The frame II is of hollow construction and projects forwardly a short distance beyond the plane of the mirror. The projecting portions I2 of the frame are of generally rectangular cross section and are partially cut away along the lsides and bottom of the frame to expose light transmitting panels I3.

The frame II forms the front of a shallow effective illumination (Cl. 24o-4.2)

casing I4. The casing I4 contains a plurality of light bulbs I5, which are located behind the panels I3, and contains a plurality of reflectors I8, which are located behind the bulbs I5.

Each of the panels I3 is a clear glass prism, and is characterized by an angularly disposed light receiving surface I'I, a forwardly facing light emitting surface I8, and an inwardly facing light emitting surface I9. I'he surfaces I8 and I9 are exposed through the cut-away openings in the l frame I I, in positions substantially flush with the front and inner surfaces, respectively, of the forwardly projecting portions of the latter. The surface I'I, which is positioned in opposition to the light bulb I5 behind thesame, is located at an angle of approximately 45 to the surfaces I8 and i 9.

The surface I'I of each prism is preferably covered by a light diffusing panel 20, which may be in the form of a sheet of opal glass. The panel 20, by diffusing the rays of light entering the surface I'I, prevents the production of overly intense bright spots in the beam emitted from the surfaces I8 and I9. The panel 20 is desirable where the light source is oi.' the single-point variety, but it can be dispensed with where the light source is continuous and of surface character, as where atubular bulb 2| (see- Fig. 7) of the fluorescent type is used. The reflector `I6 behind the bulb I5 serves to build up and even the amount of light on the diffusing screen 20.

The light rays, upon leaving the light `diffusing panel 20 and entering the surface I 1, are refracted to and through the surfaces I8 and I9, the latter surfaces directing the light rays forwardly and inwardly with respect to the plane of the mirror in a substantially continuous arc of approximately as illustrated in Fig. 6.

The light emitting surfaces I8 and I9, instead of being flat and disposed at right angles to each other, may be merged in a. gradual curve to produce a plano-convex lens shape.

With the controlled and crossed beam arrangement herein described the sides and front of the face of a person standing before the mirror are lighted by overlapping beams of light from units placed at a Wide angle away from the face. The front of theface and the underside of the chin and neck are lighted from the bottom unit. All of the surfaces of the face are evenly and brightly lighted, with shadowless light. 'Ihe lighting units are set at such wide angles from the eyes that they do not appear as glare, thereby affording Acombined with eye comfort.

To give ready access to the prisms, bulbs and reflectors, for cleaning, repair or replacement, the frame Il and casing I4 may be hinged together at one side at 23 and detachably fastened together at the other side. 'I'he frame and casing, as a unit, may-advantageously be set back into a recess 24 in the supporting wall 25, and may be hinged at 26 to the wall, ush with the latter, thereby permitting the illuminated mirror assembly to be swung out if desired into any angular position.

'Ihe bulbs I5 are preferably connected with a switch 21 mounted in one of the corners of the frame.

I claim:

'I'he combination with a mirror, and a forwardly projecting frame about the same, of

elongated light transmitting panels housed within the frame substantially flush with the front and inner surfaces oi. the forwardly projecting portions of the latter, light sources behind the panels, and reflectors about the light sources, each of said panels being of generally triangular cross section and having an angularly disposed light receiving surface directly opposite its light source, a forwardly facing light emitting surface substantially flush with the front face of the 10 frame, and an inwardly facing light emitting surface substantially flush with the inner face of the frame, with the two last mentioned surfaces so arranged with respect to each other and the angularly disposed surface as to direct light rays 15 forwardly and inwardly with respect to the plane of the mirror in a continuous arc of approximately 90.

ROBERT G. NORDQUIST. 

